Can Horses Eat Pears?

I moved into a new property recently, and it’s been an absolute dream.

It was havoc getting all my stuff over there, not least of all transporting my two horses.

Once I’d settled and everything was moved, though, I had a little look around my horses’ new pasture and I was delighted to find that there was a pear tree at the far end of it.

It was fruiting already and I love pears so I was really excited. I’d never given pears to my horses, though, and I knew they’d be interested, so I decided to look into it.

So, can horses eat pears?

Pears are totally safe for your horse to eat, as long as you don’t feed them too many. Pears are a really healthy snack packed with healthy nutrients, but they still need to be fed in moderation as otherwise they can cause problems. Your horse will love a couple of pears a day.

Pears are a fantastic, tasty fruit and horses will love them, and they make a great treat.

But that’s what they are; a treat.

Overfeeding will quickly become a problem, so let’s look at it in more detail.

Is it safe for horses to eat pears?

Pears are, in principle, safe for your horse and pose no problems as far as what is actually in the pear.

However, as I said, overfeeding can easily become a problem, and despite their stature, horses really shouldn’t eat more than a pear or two a day.

Most of their diet ought to be grass and hay, and think of fresh fruit like pears as a treat.

Furthermore, be careful of how you feed the pear to your horse.

It’s usually best to chop up fruit like pear into small pieces, to reduce risk of choking.

As long as you keep all this in mind, pears are totally safe for your horse.

So, let’s look at some of the health benefits.

Health benefits of pears for horses

First of all, pears are very high in fiber, which is the cornerstone of a horse’s diet.

When you remember that grass and hay are basically just pure fiber this starts to make sense. One pear contains around 6 grams of fiber, which helps your horse’s digestion.

They also contain a number of beneficial plant compounds, such as anthocyanins which can improve heart health and strengthen blood vessels.

Green pears in particular are rich in compounds called lutein and zeaxanthin, which helps keep your horse’s vision sharp, particularly as it gets older.

Inflammation can often be a problem for horses, and pears have a number of anti-inflammatory properties.

This helps keep your horse’s gut happy and healthy and keeps them free of abdominal discomfort.

So, pears are not short on health and nutritional benefits for your horse.

But there are many types of pear, so let’s look at which you can and can’t feed to your horse.

Can horses eat Forelle pear?

Forelle pears are a smaller variety of pear with sweet, tangy flesh and white-yellow color.

Forelle pears will make a great treat for your horse, though, again, because of their size, they do present a choking hazard if fed whole.

If feeding your horse Forelle pear, chop it up a bit to reduce this risk.

Otherwise, Forelle pears are totally safe and come with many of the same benefits as typical pears.

Can horses eat European pear?

The European pear is also known as the common pear, for reasons you can probably guess.

It’s the variety we typically see in the stores and in our homes. S

o, if you hear someone talk about European pears, this is what they mean.

So, as you’ve probably guessed, European pears are what we’ve primarily been talking about, so they’re totally safe and very healthy for your horse.

Plus, they’re much easier to find than some of the other varieties, depending on where you live.

Can horses eat Bosc pear?

Bosc pears are known for their distinct, cinnamon peel, and long, tapering necks.

Another European variety possibly originating in France or Belgium, they tend to have harder flesh before ripening.

Bosc pears are completely safe for your horse, but you’ll need to be more careful of the ripeness cycle of them.

Unripe bosc pears are very hard, and present an even bigger choking hazard.

Again, chop the pear up before giving it to your horse to ensure it’s soft and juicy and not too hard.

Can horses eat Anjou pear?

Anjou pears are smaller and much rounder, and typically used in deserts because of their concentrated sweetness.

They’re also a great option for your horse, and they will most likely go mad for the sugary sweetness.

Remember to moderate, still, and again the smaller shape means you will probably want to chop it up first.

Otherwise, Anjou pears make a great treat for your horse.

Pears come in countless varieties, then, and all of them are inherently safe for your horse.

Pears are so nutrient rich that it is because of this you should be careful of moderation.

Overfeeding is easy, and can cause a lot of discomfort and problems.

Whatever type of pear you’ve got, though, if you only give your horse a couple a day, you’ll have no problems with feeding pears to your horse.